24 Water Wags turned out for the AIB DBSC race on Wednesday evening  June 19th at Dun Laoghaire. 

Race Officer Tadgh Donnelly set a three round windward leeward course with a final fourth beat to finish at the weather mark in a sunny SSW 7-10 knot breeze with gusts of up to 15 knots in Dun Laoghaire harbour.

A very close race between the first 4 boats saw Sean and Heather Craig sailing Puffin finishing just ahead of Guy and Jacqui Gilroy on Swift, who in turn were just ahead of Conor and Jess Byrne on Hilda, narrowly beating Cathy MacAleavey and Con Murphy on Mariposa.

Having flown flag A at the finish of the first race, indicating a second race would take place, the committee boat relocated to weather of the leeward gates and Race Officer Tadgh Donnelly started a second race of 2 rounds with a final 3rd beat to finish at the weather mark.

Just 17 boats started this race with some opting to call it a day and head to their home clubs after race 1.

Another close race ensued with the top four finishers the same as race one, although in a slightly different order. First was Conor and Jess Byrne on Hilda, followed closely by Sean and Heather Craig sailing Puffin, then Cathy MacAleavey on Mariposa, finishing just ahead of Guy and Jacqui Kilroy sailing Swift.

Results

Race 1: 1 no. 52 Puffin Seán &!Heather Craig 2 no. 38 Swift, Guy & Jacqui Kilroy 3 no. 49 Hilda, Conor & Jess Bryne

Race 2: 1 no. 49 Hilda, Conor & Jess Bryne 2 no. 52 Puffin Seán & Heather Craig 3 no. 45 Cathy MacAleavey & Con Murphy

Wednesday night’s Dubin Bay Water Wag race was the National Yacht Club regatta race, a class fixture traditionally run inside Dun Laoghaire Harbour ahead of Saturday's main regatta programme.

As there were issues with the committee vessel, Dublin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC) Race Officer Tadgh Donnelly and his team ran racing from a rib after a 30-minute postponement, partly due to the cruise ship tendering until 7 pm.

Donnelly set a 3-round race for the 23 starters in a gusty 14-20+ knot SE breeze.

There were four retirals, including one capsize in the challenging conditions.

The results were:

1. Swift no. 38 Guy and Jackie Kilroy
2. Mollie no. 41 Claudine and Annalise Murphy
3. ⁠⁠Mariposa no. 45 Cathy MacAleavey and Con Murphy

Regatta prizes were presented by NYC Commodore Peter Sherry in NYC after racing.

National Yacht Club Regatta race prizes were presented to winning Water Wag sailors Guy and Jackie Kilroy by Commodore Peter Sherry in NYC clubhouse after racing Photo: Ann Kirwan

After two postponements due to weather, the Water Wag dinghy Women at the Helm Regatta race took place at Dun Laoghaire Harbour on Wednesday evening, June 5th, in strong, testing conditions.

As Afloat reported earlier, 1988 Olympian Cathy MacAleavey's Mariposa, number 45, was the clear winner on the double-header night, sailed as part of the AIB DBSC series, a feat celebrated at a special prizegiving in the Royal St George Yacht Club immediately after racing.

National Yacht Club Olympian Cathy MacAleavey at the helm of Mariposa, number 45, was the winner of the Water Wag dinghy Women at the Helm Regatta race at Dun Laoghaire Harbour Photo:Brendan Briscoe

Badger Sailed by Ann-Marie Cox was second, and Judy O’Beirne's Shindilla was third.

Dublin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC) Race Officer Harry Gallagher set a two-round course for the 18 dinghies competing in the first race on Wednesday evening in the AIB DBSC Water Wag series at Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

In a blustery NW breeze gusting over 20 knots at times, the results were as follows:

1st: Mariposa - Cathy Mac Aleavey / Con Murphy
2nd: Moosmie - John O’Driscoll / Sarah Dwyer
3rd: Mademoiselle - Adam Winkelmann/ Shirley Gilmore.

A second race comprised the postponed Water Wag Women At The Helm event. With the breeze increasing to 24 kts, some competitors sometimes chose to go for an early bath between races, and 12 boats battled it out in the challenging conditions.

The results were as follows:

1st: Mariposa - Cathy Mac Aleavey / Con Murphy
2nd: Badger - Ann-Marie Cox / John Cox
3rd: Shindilla - Judy O’Beirne / Frank O’Beirne

Dubin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC) Water Wag racing for the second Wednesday in a row tonight (May 29) is cancelled due to gusty offshore winds inside Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

The 30-boat dinghy class was due to race its 2024 Women at the Helm fixture, but conditions have again thwarted this.

Dubin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC) Water Wag racing tonight (May 22) is cancelled due to gusty north-to-northwest winds reaching over 26 knots inside Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

Dublin Bay Water Wag No. 50 Siskin, sailed by Mandy Chambers and Sue Westrup, was the winner of Wednesday night's (May 17th) AIB DBSC race.

Held in warm sunshine in an ENE 5-6 knot breeze at Dun Laoghaire Harbour, Race Officer Tadgh Donnelly set a three-round course for the 23 competing boats.

The race was a handicap race with the fleet divided into eight staggered starts.

The wind dropped as the first boat approached the leeward gate for the second time so the Race Officer shortened the course at the weather mark after two rounds and a final beat with Mandy Chambers and Sue Westrup sailing Siskin getting the gun.

AIB DBSC Water Wag race results (May 17th) 

1. No. 50 Siskin, Mandy Chambers and Sue Westrup
2. No. 31 Polly, Richard Mossop and Henry Rook
3. No. 15 Moosmie, John O’Driscoll and Shirley Gilmore

Race Officer Tadgh Donnelly, aboard the committee boat 'Spirit of the Irish', set a three-round windward/leeward course in a 10-knot southwesterly breeze for the third Water Wag race of the AIB/DBSC 2024 season.

The 23-boat fleet’s start was postponed due to a 40-degree wind shift. The start line was relaid, and the course was adjusted before the starting sequence got underway. A number of boats were OCS, and the next start got away under the U flag with boats all clear.

The wind dropped to 3 knots on the last round, and the final downwind leg was slow. Judy and Grace O’Beirne sailing Shindilla had a good lead at the leeward gate before the final windward leg when Sean and Heather Craig sailing Puffin split tacks and benefitted from a better breeze on the beat finally taking the lead by a small margin.

Seán & Heather Craig sail No. 52 Puffin to a win by a small margin from No. 19 Shindilla, Judy & Grace O’Beirne in Wednesday night's Water Wag AIB/DBSC race at Dun Laoghaire Harbour Photo: Ann Kirwan

Top 3 results were:

1. No. 52 Puffin, Seán & Heather Craig
2. No. 19 Shindilla, Judy & Grace O’Beirne
3. No. 42 William Prentice and crew

On Wednesday evening, 22 boats turned out for the second Water Wag race of the AIB DBSC 2024 season at Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

Race Officer Tadgh Donnelly set a three round windward/leeward course in a six-knot ESE’ly breeze.

The strong ebb and light breeze resulted in a general recall, and the U flag was flown for the restart.

The course was shortened at the weather mark after one round and a final beat due to the dying breeze.

The top three results were:

1. No. 3 Pansy, Vincent Delany & Emma Webb
2. No. 38 Swift, Guy and Jackie Kilroy
3. ⁠⁠No. 45 Mariposa, Cathy MacAleavey & Con Murphy

The first Water Wag race of the AIB/DBSC 2024 season was held in a chilly six-eight knot steady south-easterly breeze in Dun Laoghaire harbour. Twenty-two boats participated.

Race Officer Tadgh Donnelly, aboard the Royal Irish Yacht Club committee boat 'Spirit of the Irish', set a three-round windward-leeward course with a fourth beat to finish at the weather mark.

Top three finishers were:

1. No. 52 Puffin, Seán and Heather Craig
2. No. 19 Shindilla, Judy O’Beirne and Grace O’Beirne
3. No. 3 Pansy, Vincent Delaney and Emma Webb